McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

13
RELIGION AND
EDUCTION

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Chapter Outline
• Durkheim
and the Sociological Approach to Religion
• World Religions
• The Role of Religion
• Religious Behavior
• Religious Organization
• Sociological Perspectives on Education
• Schools as Formal Organizations
• Social Policy and Religion: Religion in the Sch

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Durkheim and the Sociological
Approach to Religion
 Sociological Approach

• Anthropologist & Sociologist do not attempt to

prove or disprove the existence of God.

• What sociologists are interested in is the social

impact of religion on individuals and groups.

• Émile Durkheim was perhaps the first sociologist

to recognize the critical importance of religion in
human societies.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Durkheim and the Sociological
Approach to Religion
Durkheim and the Sociological Approach

• Durkheim defined religion as a “unified system of

beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.”
• He distinguish between Sacred and Profane.
• The sacred encompasses elements beyond
everyday life that inspire awe, respect, and even
fear. People become part of the sacred realm only
by completing some ritual, such as prayer or
sacrifice
• The profane includes the ordinary and
commonplace.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 World Religions

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 World Religions
Diversity in World Religions

•89 percent of the world’s population adheres to

some religion
•Christianity is the largest single faith, the second
largest is Islam
•Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic
religions
•Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism developed in
India. Buddhism is now primarily found in
Asia.
•Although the differences among religions are
striking, they are exceeded by variations within
faiths.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 World Religions

Figure 13.1: Religions of the World

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 World Religions

Figure 13.2: Belief in God Worldwide

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 World Religions

Figure 13.3: Predominant Christian Faiths by Counties of the United States, 1990

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Role of Religion
Functions of Religion

•Manifest functions: Manifest functions are open

and stated. Religion defines the spiritual world and
gives meaning to the divine. Religion also
provides an explanation for events that are difficult
to understand.
•Latent functions: The latent functions of
religion (unintended, covert, or hidden) might
include providing a meeting ground for unmarried
members.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Role of Religion
The Integrative Function of Religion
•“How can human societies be held together when they
are generally composed of individuals and social groups
with diverse interests and aspirations?”

•Religion as “societal glue”

•Religion offers people meaning and purpose for their

lives.
•Religion gives people certain ultimate values and ends to
hold in common.
•These values and ends help a society to function as an
integrated social system.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 The Role of Religion
Religion and Social Support
•How can family and friends come to terms with the
death of a talented college student, not even 20 years old?

•“God’s will,” or as having some ultimate benefit that we

cannot understand now.

•Through its emphasis on the divine and the supernatural,

religion allows us to do something about the calamities we
face.
•Religion encourages us to view our personal
misfortunes as unimportant in the broader perspective
of human history.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 The Role of Religion
Religion and Social Change

•The Weberian Thesis

--Weber argued that followers of the Protestant
Reformation emphasized a disciplined work
ethic, this-worldly concerns, and a rational
orientation for life.
--This became known as the Protestant ethic.
--A by-product of this ethic was a drive to
accumulate savings that could be used for future
investment.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Role of Religion
Religion and Social Change

• Liberation Theology
--The use of a church in a political effort to
eliminate poverty, discrimination, and other
forms of injustice evident in a secular society.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 The Role of Religion
Religion and Social Control: A Conflict
View
• Marx argued that religion impeded social change by
encouraging people to focus on other-worldly concerns
rather than their poverty or exploitation.
• Marx felt religion drugged the masses into submission by
offering a consolation for their harsh live on earth: the
hope of salvation in an ideal afterlife.
• For example, during the period of slavery in the United States, White
masters forbade Blacks to practice native African religions, while
encouraging them to adopt Christianity, which taught them that
obedience would lead to salvation and eternal happiness in the
hereafter.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Religious Behavior
Common Elements of Religion

 Belief: Religious beliefs are statements to which

members of a particular religion adhere.
Fundamentalism may be defined as an emphasis on
doctrinal conformity and the literal interpretation of sacred
texts.
 Ritual: Religious rituals are practices required or
expected of members of a faith.
 Experience: Religious experience is the feeling or
perception of being in direct contact with the
ultimate reality or of being overcome with religious
emotion.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Religious Behavior

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Functionalist View

Manifest Functions: The major manifest

functions of education are the transmission of
knowledge and the bestowal of status.
Latent Functions: The latent functions of
education include transmitting culture, promoting
social and political integration, maintaining
social control, and serving as agents of social
change.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Functionalist View

 Transmitting Culture
--Education transmits the dominant culture,
exposing young people to the existing beliefs,
norms, and values of their culture.
 Promoting Social and Political Integration
--Education transforms a diverse population into
a society whose members share a common
identity.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Functionalist View

 Maintaining Social Control

Schools teach students punctuality, discipline,
scheduling, and responsible work habits, and
how to negotiate through a bureaucratic
organization.
 Serving as an Agent of Change
Schools serve as a meeting ground where
distinctive beliefs and traditions can be shared.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Conflict View

•Education is an instrument of elite domination.

•Schools reinforce existing social class inequality.
•Convince subordinate groups of their inferiority.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Conflict View
•The Hidden Curriculum
--Standards of behavior that are deemed proper
by society are taught subtly in schools.
•Bestowal of Status
--Education bestows status in a differential
fashion, sorting students according to social class.
•Credentialism
--Describes the increase in the lowest level of
education needed to enter a field.
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Conflict View
 Treatment of Women in Education
--In the United States, the educational system
has long been characterized by discriminatory
treatment of women.
--Sexism in education shows up in many
ways:
Stereotypes in textbooks
Pressure on women to study traditional women’s
subjects
Unequal funding for men’s and women’s athletic
programs
McGraw-Hill Employment bias for©administrators
2004 The McGraw-Hilland
Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Conflict View
 Treatment of Women in Education (continued)
--Women have made great strides in the
proportion of women continuing their education.
--In cultures where traditional gender roles
remain as social norms, women’s education
suffers appreciably.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Interactionist View
•Labeling and self-fulfilling prophecy suggest if we
treat people in particular ways, they may fulfill our
expectations.
•The teacher-expectation effect documents the
impact of teacher expectations and their large role in
student performance.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education

Figure 13.4: Percentage of Adults 25 to 64 Who Have Completed Higher Education, 1998

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Millions
40

35
Elementary
30

25
Note: The figures for
1970 and 1971 do not 20
High school
include students aged 15
35 and older.
10
College

5
Nursery/kindergarten
0
1970

1975
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2001. The Population Profile
1980 of the United States: 2000. Figure 8-1.
(Internet Release) accessed at http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/profile2000.html#cont.

McGraw-Hill © 20041985
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights
 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Enrolled in
21.7 college
30.3
35.4 38.7
55.9
Percent High school
distribution 37.8 graduate, not
of people in college
46.7
in age 46.4 In high
group 48.9 8.0

34.9 school
7.7 High school
5.7 32.3
4.7 dropout
12.5 15.3 4.3
7.6 4.6
Total White Black Asian Hispanic
non-Hispanic and (of any race)
Pacific Islander
People Aged 18 to 24 by Enrollment Status and Race and Hispanic Origin: October 2000
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2001. The Population Profile of the United States: 2000. Figure 8-2.
(Internet Release) accessed at http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/profile2000.html#cont.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
Percent of population in age group
100
High school graduate or more,
90 25 to 29 years old

80

70
High school graduate or more,
60 25 years old and over

50

40
Bachelor’s degree or more,
30 25 to 29 years old

20
Bachelor’s degree or more,
10 25 years old and over

0
1970 1980 1990
2000
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2001. The Population Profile of the United States: 2000. Figure 9-1.
High School
(Internet Release) accessed and College Graduates: 1970—2000
at http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/profile2000.html#cont.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education
(Percent of population aged 25 and older)
88.4
1989
81.0 78.9 2000

65.0
57.0
51.0

White Black Hispanic

non-Hispanic non-Hispanic (of any race)
People Aged 25 and Older Who Have Completed High School or More for Selected Racial
and Ethnic Groups: 1989--2000
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2001. The Population Profile of the United States: 2000. Figure 9-2. (Internet
Release) accessed at http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/profile2000.html#cont.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Sociological Perspectives on
Education

Table 13.3: Foreign Students by Country of Origin or Destination

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Schools as Formal Organizations
Bureaucratization of Schools
•Weber noted five characteristics of bureaucracy, all
of which are evident in most schools:
1. Division of labor
2. Hierarchy of authority
3. Written rules and regulations
4. Impersonality
5. Employment based on technical qualifications

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Schools as Formal Organizations
Teachers: Employees and Instructors
•The Teacher’s Conflict
--The organization follows the principles of
hierarchy and expects adherence to its rules.
--Professionalism demands the individual
responsibility of the practitioner.
--Many fewer students choose teaching as a
career than in the past due to perceived low
income, the cost of education, and low respect
given to the profession.

McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.